STATE HOUSE – Rep. Julie A. Casimiro (D-Dist. 31, North Kingstown, Exeter) has reintroduced legislation (2019-H 5313) that would require utility and cable companies to provide bill credits to customers after service is interrupted for 168 hours within a 30 day period.

“As we witnessed last year with the intense storms that knocked out power across the state and recently with the Aquidneck Island gas shut-off, our state’s residents have been experiencing vital utility disruptions that are causing significant stress to their lives and their bank accounts. Our consumers must be protected from the cost of any future disruptions in service and that is why I have reintroduced this bill, to help our residents get through these stressful events, especially those who are the most vulnerable to these disruptions,” said Representative Casimiro.

The companies will be prohibited from recovering the cost of the bill credits by instituting a surcharge on the customer, including any rider, adjustment clause or recovery mechanism that is added to a customer’s bill.

Credits would not be applied if the interruption of service was due to the action or inaction of the customer, such as unpaid bills, or if the service was terminated by either the customer or the service company.